Re: Is it worth learing altisimo notes

Re: Is it worth learing altisimo notes

Yo man,
You have to love to play high to like altissimo. I lov to play high so i'm starting to learn it. I would recomend the book Saxophone Altissimo by Robert A. Luckey, Ph.D.. It is very insitefull. Or find someone around you who knows it and have them teach you.
Hope I have helped you.
Stewart Dreis
9th Grade Alto

Re: Is it worth learing altisimo notes

Well I think that altissimo is one of the fun parts about the saxophone. The bueaty of the instrument is that it is very versitle and its cool to explore that. If you dont take the time to learn a little altissimo you'll miss out on a lot of important literature, such as Introduction and Samba by Whitney, the Ibert Concerto Da Camera, and the Muczynski Sonata. Generally an octave above F is all the practical altissimo you should need. I really only go up to high D, the higher you go the harder it is to control the sound. As far as learning through books I think the Rasher and Rousseau methods are great for altissimo voicing but honestly I just look for the right fingerings and check the note with a tuner to know the correct pitch. That's my little bit.

Re: Is it worth learing altisimo notes

Eugene Rousseau said it himself at the NASA convention in Greensboro two weeks ago, "The altissimo range is no longer optional for saxophone players today."
While it is fun to prove to the arrogant Maynard Ferguson clone that they are not the only ones who can play high, the altissimo register is something that all saxophone players need to learn- and learn well.
Simply learning the correct fingerings is not enough. You must know which fingering to use in different situations. So to answer the question, it's up to you to figure out whether it's worth it or not, but if you're asking if it's necessary- the answer is a resounding yes.